


Sippin' On Straight Chlorophyll

by IPutOnMyHeadphonesWalking



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Dark!Fury, Death, Evil Fury, Fury's an ass, Hurt No Comfort, More Death, Palladium Poisoning, Sad Ending, Time - Freeform, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-16 00:35:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19307056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IPutOnMyHeadphonesWalking/pseuds/IPutOnMyHeadphonesWalking
Summary: Tony Stark often pondered about time, and when it would finally catch up to him.Or, the AU in which Fury doesn't come to help Tony in Iron Man 2, for he is unimportant and expendable, and dies of Palladium Poisoning.





	Sippin' On Straight Chlorophyll

 

Tony always thought time was funny. It’s something that’s always there, never ceasing. You can run all you want, but time never pauses. If you stay in place too long, it will catch up to you. It always does. 

But time is also seen as something that living things created. A theory they made so that they could perceive the world better. 

Some think that measuring time is fruitless, for we live in the Universe Rigid, where time fills our universe just as space does. 

But Tony knows better. You can measure time with clocks and watches and hourglasses and sundials all you want, but the true clock of time is the one within. Each person has their own personal clock, that runs differently from everyone else. People can break watches all they want, but their time will always truly run out when their steady heart stops beating. 

Tony wonders if because his heart is poisoned, his time is too. 

He stood staring out of his ceiling to floor windows, taking in the sight of New York for the millionth time. He knew there were much better things he could be doing, but he really just…didn’t care. He was waiting for somebody anyway.

He took a sip from his glass and tried not to make a face. He was drinking straight chlorophyll now, but he knew it was fruitless. He was too far gone, his body poisoned beyond help. 

He just needed a different element for his arc. He could have made one, he is a genius afterall, but he couldn’t seem to move from his spot by the window. 

He knew he was going to die, he knew it from the moment he woke up that morning. He had felt a hundred times weaker than he had the day before. It was a struggle to get out of bed, but pure determination had gotten him to that window, where he sat before it. At some point, Dum-E appeared beside him, glass of chlorophyll in claw. Tony had accepted the glass, even though he knew it would do no good. He just wanted to make sure that Dum-E felt like he was helping. 

For a while, they just sat there. Tony just stared at the surrounding buildings while Dum-E seemed to hug him, his metal ‘arm’ trying to bend around his back. Whenever Tony was hit with a surge of pain, Dum-E would press in harder, making small clicks to try and reassure his creator.

After the sun had set, Tony was feeling worse than ever, his vision going blurry and his head feeling light. He knew it wasn’t long until his guest arrived. 

JARVIS’s soothing voice interrupted quietly, asking Dum-E to go back down to the lab. Dum-E shouldn’t have to witness it. Tony knew that JARVIS wanted to help, or at least alert someone who could help, but the inventor had created a protocol that prohibited it, at least while he was alive. 

Tony knew it wasn’t long until he left with his guest, who should be arriving soon, when he stood shakily, taking a sip of his ‘drink’.

He watched as the sky fell to darkness, New York always resisting to submit. With all of it’s bright signs and neon lights and red taillights, it was stubborn against the darkness. But Tony knew, that one day, Time would come for New York too. 

His diaphragm suddenly spasmed, causing Tony to cough uncontrollably. His glass shattered on the floor, sending the liquid splattering on the floor. He fell to his knees, lungs and chest alive in fiery pain. 

_ Guest’s finally here.  _

“Sleep well sir,” came JARVIS’s impossibly sad voice, “And thank you, for everything.” Tony couldn’t help but be pulled back to an early memory of the human Jarvis smiling down at him and tucking his small body into bed.  _ ‘Sleep well sir.” _

Tony felt satisfied as he collapsed onto the smooth floor, not even feeling the sharp shards of glass pressing into his skin. It wouldn’t matter in a moment.

His world started fading until the scene outside was nothing more than a blur of colors. 

_ That would make a spectacular painting. JARVIS, take picture, print it off in high quality, and get somebody to frame it. Pepper’ll like it.  _

He closed his eyes and faded away, letting Time take him. 

* * *

Shoes striked noisily on the floor as a Shield agent sprinted down the hallway. Breathing heavily, he turned another corner, his tablet in hand.

Finally reaching his destination, he pushed open the door and stood there for a moment doubled over as he tried to regain his breath. 

He eventually looked up and drew in a quick breath before speaking to the one-eyed man before him.

“Tony Stark has passed, sir.”

The man at the desk, Director Fury, did not seem to acknowledge the new information, merely continuing to sign papers on his desk. 

After a moment, he spoke, but did not waver in his signing.

“Get the suits.”

The young man nodded, as though he expected this answer, and backed out of the door, running again.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Annnnnnd I'm /not/ sorry. 
> 
> Actually I am, about the terrible writing. I'll probably come back and fix this later, because this needs a lot of work. 
> 
> The Universe Rigid thing came from 'The Time Machine' by H.G. Wells. It's a really cool quote.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated.
> 
> Have a good day and stay safe guys.
> 
> Also, I’d love it if you guys went and checked out the author: tonystarktrash
> 
> He/She is an amazing author and their fic “what’s your wingspan?” Is so freaking amazing, please just go give them some kudos and comments because wow, they’re fabulous. Their fic “touch” is also crazy amazing too.


End file.
